Christus in corde, or, The mystical union between Christ and believers considered in its…

THE Mystical Union being found only in holy Scripture, a diligent search must be made there for it. What the Jewish Rabbins say touching the Law, that I may say touching the Gospel, turn it over, and again turn it over, for all is in it.

It is the manner of Scripture to speak, not always in proper words, but very often in Tropes and Figures; among others, it commonly makes use of Metaphors, that ⟨p. 23⟩sense may lead to faith, and earthly things insinuate heavenly to us. The Song of Solomon is an entire Allegory, full of Sacred mysteries: other parts of Scripture are, in a great measure, like pieces of Arras or Tapestry, beautified with Metaphorical flowers, and images of Divine things. The reason of this is, holy mysteries being magnalia Dei, the great things of God, not extracted out of the principles of humane Reason, but let down from Heaven out of the Fathers bosom, have a Divine glory and greatness in them: No words can perfectly express them; no humane minds can fully comprehend them. First, no words can perfectly express them. Agur in very deep humility, speaking of God, asks, what is his name? Prov. 30.4. He hath many names; yet, as the Schoolman saith, he is innominabilis secundum perfect am expressionem, ¹he cannot be named unto perfection; no name made up of finite Letters can perfectly express his infinite perfection. St. Austin upon those words, In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, Joh. 1.1. hath this passage, Forsitan necipse Johannes dixit ut est, sed & ipse ut potuit, ²quia de Deo ut homo dixit; perhaps St. John, though inspired, did not fully say as ⟨p. 24⟩it is, but as he could; because he but a man spoke of God. Christ is called the Word (saith Nazianzen) who is superior to every Word. Holy mysteries are so great and glorious, that they are beyond words and expressions. Hence the Holy Ghost in Scripture useth Metaphors, in which names are borrowed from earthly things, and translated to heavenly, because of some similitude between them. Again, No humane minds can fully comprehend them; it is but very little we know of God. We proceed (as the Schoolmen observe) by way of remotion. First we deny of him all corporal things; then we deny of him intellectual things as they are in the creature: then it only remains in our minds, that he is, and nothing more. At last, we remove from him essence it self, as it is in the creature; and then we are in darkness. In like manner, it is but very little that we know of holy mysteries; somewhat we apprehend, but we comprehend them not;